Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable seat and, in particular, a seat that can be utilized with a variety of bases or supports such as a tree stand mount, single or double ladder mount, tripod or on-ground mount, or others.
Problems in the Art
It is desirable to have a sturdy seat that is useful for out-of-doors and reasonably portable for a variety of applications. One example is hunting. Hunters and photographers need to sit still for sometimes long periods of time. They also need a stable support for firing a weapon or triggering a camera from a seated position. Such seats must be able to support a wide range of body types and weights. They must be robust enough for outside use over a range of environmental conditions. Additionally, it is usually desirable they be economical to make and use.
A number of different styles of hunting tree stands of this general type are known. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,283, U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,496, U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,074, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,137, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. There are even more varieties in the marketplace commercially available from many sources.
The inventor has discovered the benefit of being able to have some degree of freedom of movement while being seated. It can create problems to have a fixed-in-place seat when a hunter or photographer needs to shift aiming position.
Others have tried to provide some degree of freedom of movement. U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,283 has a seat that is adjustable in vertical height. U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,496 has an L-shaped arm that can pivot around a vertical axis near the point of support (e.g., at the perimeter of the tree). U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,074 has a chair back seat that pivots around a substantially vertical axis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,137 does likewise.
Other attempts are more complex. U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0321186 has two arms and a seat which pivot around vertical axes. This allows seat 82 to pivot around its basic center point but allows arms 78 and 80 to either be folded back up against the tree or extended fully out.
It has been found by the inventor, however, that mere pivoting around the center axis of the seat has some limitations. And, the greater flexibility of the two arm arrangement of U.S. 2009/0321186 is somewhat difficult to accurately articulate. Sometimes the two arms fold in the right direction; sometimes they do not. It also is quite complex in structure and costly. There is also some concern over how well it supports the full weight of a person in the fully extended position.
As can be appreciated by those with skill and experience in hunting and photography, factors including but not limited to ease, flexibility, smoothness, and efficiency of movement from a seated position can be extremely beneficial. Therefore, there is always room for improvement along these lines. It would be beneficial to have good control over freedom of movement in a seat while being supported either elevated or on the ground but also promote smooth and low effort operation, with minimal movement to achieve different directional tasks. Less movement to turn to different orientations while seated can result in better hunting or picture taking.
The inventor has therefore found there is room for improvement in the art.